Rope Swings in Tel Aviv
Adults like to play too. And no that doesn’t mean happy hour, anything dealing with bars or anything revolving around alcohol for that matter. When was the last time you played? Sat on the ground and built something or made up a game, for no other goal than having fun.
Parks are rethinking the way we play. They are bringing back the free creativity. Parks are stretching our minds and imaginations again.
Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx was built only for adults. And New York City plans to introduce twelve more parks in the next 18 months across the city. It is not only a park though. The new adult playground it geared towards fitness. The city wanted to provide people with accessible and affordable fitness equipment as an incentive to be healthy. Gyms are typically too expensive and that big, intimidating equipment often scares people away. These new adult playgrounds make fitness fun and affordable. It’s great news for fitness. There is no doubt that we could all use a little more of that in our lives.
http://www.gametime.com/Portal.aspx?CN=27CFFA9DD183 – created fitness units. It’s all about getting fit. I want to have fun. Fun is the motivation.
While it is great that the new adult playgrounds are providing a fitness alternative, I want to know where the creative non-structure play is for adults. Remember when all you had to worry about was whether you were going to get the good swing on the playground or be the first one to declare yourself king of the treehouse. That is the kind of play missing from adult lives. No rules, just play.
City Museum made adult play possible in St. Louis. It is a giant warehouse turned adult fun-house. The only problem is the kids take over. Kid s have taken over the adult slides and ball pits while the adults sit in the bar. I’d rather have the ball pit than the beer any day.
In New York City, adults are banned from children’s playgrounds. You must have a child to go to the playground. I say this is unfair. I have the right to swing and run through the fun water mister too. Adults have ball fields, picnic lawns, volleyball courts and golf courses. All have rules, all have structure. Even the new fitness playground have rules. Study after study has been done to prove that children need free play and more creativity. The same is true for adults. We need it to escape from the structure of day-to-day routine and tap back into our creative minds that bring joy and happiness to our lives. New York and cities all over the world are moving in the right direction with adult playgrounds. I am excited for the day when I see grown men and women sprinting towards the swing set for their favorite swing.
Adult Playground in Tel Aviv
city museum is a great model, and now I want to go to israel!
I just learned of another great playground in Santa Monica!
http://antranik.org/a-typical-sunday-at-the-santa-monica-rings-an-adults-playground-video-and-pictures/
Yes!!! I so agree that fun should be the objective. I love to swing. Until recently adults could get away with swinging on Central Parks Arthur Ross Pinetum, just off the softball fields on the upper west side of the park. Alas no longer. For 2 wonderful summers I enjoyed daily trips to play and to swing in the sun. It was a most liberating and inspiring feeling; I even invented a swing routine and workout program(I’m a movement specialist by trade) that was creatively inspired from watching children swing, which reminded me of when I was child, and how I used to swing. It was heaven. People would just sit and watch me having joy, they would ask questions, and I would teach them.. how to swing! Then one day last summer a Central Park Ranger pulled up in a vehicle and approached me, and said “Your not allowed to swing like that.” I protested and said that I can swing anyway I want. She then said, swings are for kids, and your not a kid. I replied, swings are for everyone, show me a rule or a law that says there not. So stumped, she calls her supervisor, and then finds her hook… and says, are you here with a child? Now mind you, A. Ross Pinetum is an un-fenced, un-enclosed play ground. There are no signs or posting to indicate the ‘child protection law’, furthermore… adults swing there constantly, tourists, teens, elderly… everyone…! So i stay on my swing telling here that this play-ground is not one of those play grounds protected as such. She said I’ll call the police. I said go ahead, i would prefer that they were here, for I’ll never listen to you. Your a bully. To be safe, at this point I got off the swing. And then I waited for the police. Moments later, 2 squad cars pull up, 5 police and a dialogue ensues… it was my birthday of all things. The police said they would never ticket me, but that she could issue a summons if I got back on the swing. And under that particular ruling of the child protection act in parks, the summons would have been a nasty one, involving the pressing off charges, a criminal record, court appearances, and so on… and all, just for a swing in the sun on my birthday! Its disgusting! Its discriminatory! And whats worse… now I have now where to swing. Ive thought of petitioning for an Adult Swing Set in Central Park. But it seems an impossible process… but maybe not, if others ‘adults’ are out there, who love to swing and play on swing sets…?
What a story! Thanks for sharing. I am utterly shocked by the degree to which the park ranger went to prevent you from swinging. Parks should be the one place where people are encouraged to play, regardless of your age.
Our society is too cautious, too worried about offending someone or getting hurt. I of course understand having separate play areas for children and adults, but at least offer an option for adults. A friend was recently in a play area at an indoor playground with her 15 month old son and a random woman told her it was inappropriate for her to play with her son on the equipment. Since when did it become socially unacceptable for adults to have fun?